Slug-form binding



Aug. 22, 1933. w. H. RITENOUR SLUG FORM BINDING Filed July 15, 1931 INVENTOR Patented Aug. 22, 1933 1 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFlCE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for fastening together tyographical slugs, usually accomplished in page units.

The objects of the invention are, first, to securely bind together the slugs comprising a typographical form; and, second, to provide a means of binding whereby the low spacing slugs may be prevented from working up during the printing operation.

My pending application for slug form, Serial No. 490,496, filed October 22, 1930, discloses how the work-up of spacing slugs may be forestalled by a novel form of frame side-bar. The present invention aims to eliminate this frame side-bar by the substitution of a rod that may be passed through a continuous hole formed in the slug bodies.

The accompanying drawing shows the use of ordinary typographical slugs that have been .20 modified in a novel manner in the carrying-out of the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a slug form, showing a preferred style of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line II of Fig. 1.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In a book job, a large proportion of the typographical matter is composed entirely in slugs and it is this class of work that will be described in disclosing the invention.

For commercial reasons, pages of slug composition for book printing are stored from one printing to another and it is obviously quite essential that no transposition of slugs shall occur during the several handlings of the slug pages by various operatives. For the purpose of binding a page in the manner shown in Fig. 1, the individual slugs are formed with holes 4 through their bodies. These holes 4 may be formed when the slug is cast on the linotype machine, or they may be drilled in a separate operation.

The slugs comprising a book page are assembled on a galley in the usual manner. The running head slug 5 (Fig. 1) begins the page. A low slug 6a follows; a slug bearing a decorative design or rule may be the next employed; another low slug 6!) follows; the balance of the page is composed of text slugs 8.

The holes 4 in each slug are preferably located in the upper half; i. e., about one-third of the slug height below the printing surface. As is well known, the usual slug body is slightly thicker at the top than at the bottom and by thus locating the rod holes 4 in the upper part of the slug body the squeeze in the subsequent binding operation will tend to hold the slugs on their feet, regardless of the slightly-tapered bearing in the slug body. The holes 4 thus located will pass through the low slugs 6 (Fig. 1) about an eighth of an inch under its upper edge when the usual three-fourths-inch height of spacing material is employed.

The rods 9 are loosely inserted through the continuous holes formed in the slugs comprising the assembled page. The ends of rods are threaded at both ends and nuts are fastened thereon, preferably only tight enough to hold the slugs securely. It should be particularly noted here that the binding rods 9 will prevent the low slugs 6a, 6bfrom working up on press during the printing operation; this is an important feature since it eliminates one of the greatest obstacles encountered by the pressman in printing direct from slug composition.

'It is also pointedout here as a very important feature that accurate alinement of the slugs laterally by means of the rods 9 is deliberately avoided. Normally the rods are suspended through the slug openings with several thousandths of an inch clearance. This clearance allows a flexible action when the varying strains of the chase lock-up are applied.

The amount of squeeze or compression in an assemblage of slugs comprising a book page will vary, according to the numerous factors involved. Allowance for the maximum amount of squeeze is provided by making the length of the binding rods 9 such as will cause the threaded ends thereof to project beyond the slug bodies only the thickness of the nuts 10 (about six typographical points, .083 of an inch) when the rods are inserted in the form. The low notched slugs ll, 11 at the head and foot of form accordingly should be about 12 points in thickness so that the notched portions 12 therein will always overlap about twice the dimension of the rod-and-nut projection. As shown in Fig. 2, the squeeze of the subsequent lock-up will not be suflicient to allow the rods or nuts to bind against any surrounding lock-up furniture. It will be noted that the head and foot slugs 11, 11 are fitted under the rods 9 in a manner that will preclude their working up on press. It should also be noted that the loose-fitting rods 9 will allow the same squeeze in the press lock-up as would take place in a form comprised of ordinary slugs. The slugs in Fig. 1 are represented as being of full type height, but in practice it may be found desirable to form the same in less than type height.

Only the preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein described and. many modifications may be readily apparent to the practical workman. Thus, one binding rod 9 may be substituted for the two shown in Fig. 1. A fastening pin may be employed instead of the nut 10. The binding rods 9 may be discarded entirely for a wire tie-up. It is believed that all such variations will come within the scope of the invention here disclosed, the essence of which is to pass a binding element through the body of a slug form in such a manner as to provide alining and fastening means for the assembled slugs.

I claim:

1. A typeform comprising a plurality of character slugs and spacing strips, said type-form having a continuous series of openings formed in the bodies of said slugs and spacing strips, in combination with a relatively narrow rod suspended through said openings and bearing fastening means on either end, whereby the slugs are securely fastened only at right angles to their lengths,-substantially as described.

2. A type-form comprising a plurality of character slugs and spacing strips, said type-form having a continuous series of holes formed in the bodies of said slugs and spacing strips, in combination with a pair of relatively narrow rods suspended through said holes and bearing fastening means on either end, whereby the slugs are securely fastened only at right angles to their lengths, substantially as described.

3. The type-form described in claim 2, in combination with head and foot slugs 11, 11 notched to clear the projecting fastening means when the form is compressed in a chase lock-up, in the manner and for the purpose described.

4. The type-form describedin claim 2, in combination with the head and foot slugs 11, 11 bearing notches, the lower edges of said notches being adapted to engage the fastening means and prevent sufficient displacement that would allow them to rise to printing position, in the manner and for the purpose described.

WILLIAM H. RITENOUR. 

